Minnesota Court of Appeals

The Minnesota Court of Appeals provides the citizens of Minnesota with prompt and deliberate review of all final decisions of the trial courts, state agencies, and local governments. As the error-correcting court, the Court of Appeals handles most of the appeals, which allows the Minnesota Supreme Court to spend time resolving difficult constitutional and public policy cases.

Effective July 1, 2014, substantial changes to the Rules of Civil Appellate Procedure took effect. In particular, parties should take note that references in the amended rules to use of the appellate courts’ electronic filing system is permitted only by court order, as outlined in Rule 125.01.

Also effective July 1, 2014:

No court order permits or requires use of electronic filing in the appellate courts.

The required number of copies of documents filed with the appellate courts has been reduced, either by amendment of the rules, or for briefs, by standing order of the appellate courts (five copies- two unbound in the Supreme court, and one unbound in the Court of Appeals).

Appendices to briefs are no longer allowed, but parties are required to file a limited addendum with a brief in the form required by amended Rule 130.

Parties are advised to read the Rules of Civil Appellate Procedure for additional information on these and other changes that apply to all appeals pending on or filed after that date.

About the Court

The Minnesota Court of Appeals, which began on November 1, 1983, provides the citizens of Minnesota with prompt and deliberate review of all final decisions of the trial courts, state agencies, and local governments. As the error-correcting court, the Court of Appeals handles most of the appeals, which allows the Minnesota Supreme Court to spend time resolving difficult constitutional and public policy cases.

Court of Appeals’ decisions are the final ruling in about 95 percent of the 2,400 appeals every year. Typically, about five percent of the Court’s decisions are accepted by the Minnesota Supreme Court for further review.

The Court reviews appeals in a timely manner. By law, the Court must issue a decision within 90 days of oral arguments. If no oral argument is held, a decision is due within 90 days of the case’s scheduled conference date. This deadline is the shortest imposed on any appellate court in the nation.

As part of the Court’s effort to expedite justice and to make access to the appellate system less burdensome and expensive, the Court’s 19 judges sit in three-judge panels and travel to locations throughout Minnesota to hear oral arguments.

With the assistance of an electronic case management system, the Court monitors the progress of every appeal to ensure that there are no unnecessary delays in processing cases or releasing decisions. The Court demonstrates the value of aggressive, hands-on management of its cases. Other states frequently look to Minnesota as a model for case-processing and delay-reduction.

Year-round in courtrooms 100 and 200 in the Minnesota Judicial Center, St. Paul.

At various Minnesota locations to keep litigation costs low and to ensure access to justice.

What is the standard of review?
The standard of review defines the manner in which each issue is reviewed, delineates the boundaries of appellate argument, and often determines the outcome on appeal. When deciding a case, the first task of an appellate court is to identify the applicable standard of review. The Minnesota Court of Appeals conscientiously identifies and applies a specific standard of review to each issue before the court.

Marshal calls court to order; audience stands.
During oral arguments, the marshal maintains courtroom decorum and ensures that attorneys adhere to time limitations.

Three judges enter the courtroom.
Court of Appeals cases are heard in three-judge panels. Prior to oral arguments, judges prepare by reading “briefs,” or written arguments submitted by the parties involved. The judges sit in order of seniority, with the presiding judge in the middle.

Appellant’s attorney argues the case.
The attorney representing the appealing party also answers judges’ questions about his/her legal argument. Fifteen minutes are allotted, with five minutes for rebuttal.

Judges conference the case.
One judge is assigned to draft the Court’s “opinion” or decision, which is discussed during conference.

Judges draft and revise the opinion.
The draft is circulated among the members of the three-judge panel. A judge on the panel may also write a “concurring opinion” – agreeing with the decision but for different reasons – or a “dissenting opinion” – disagreeing with the majority opinion. Once the judges agree on a final draft, the opinion is circulated to the entire Court of Appeals for comments.

Opinion filed with Clerk of Appellate Courts, released to public via the Judicial Branch Website.
The Court of Appeals releases its opinion within 90 days of oral arguments.

The Minnesota Court of Appeals Help Topicsanswer some of the frequently asked questions about appeals and petitions to the Minnesota Court of Appeals.